The Department of Political Science and the Glendon community learned with great sadness the passing of Professor Terrence Heinrichs at the age of 80. Wittgenstein declared that the human body is the best picture of the human soul. Professor Heinrichs was a large man, full of life, generous to his friends and colleagues, and strongly attached to his civil libertarian principles.
Born in Wisconsin, Professor Heinrichs was a star athlete in high school and attended Berkeley on an athletic scholarship playing both baseball and basketball. While studying at Berkeley, he became active in the free speech movement and passionate about the protection of civil liberties, which would subsequently inform his academic interests and shape his lifelong commitment to the freedom of expression in liberal democracy.
After graduating from Berkeley, Professor Heinrichs wrote his PhD under the venerable C.B. Macpherson at the University of Toronto. His thesis was on language and memory in Hobbes’s Leviathan. He went on to write a number of important articles on Hobbes and obtained teaching positions at the University of British Columbia and the University of Toronto before coming to Glendon where he taught in the Department of Political Science for over 40 years. His political theory curriculum ranged from ancient Greek and early modern political thought to topics in American politics and debates on legal theory and civil liberties. He published numerous respected articles on political and legal controversies surrounding the freedom of expression.
Professor Heinrichs was always willing to discuss and debate ideas over a few pints. Soft spoken, he had a formidable intellect and a remarkable breadth of knowledge. He was always his own person and held strong opinions backed by evidence and argument. Professor Heinrichs was an inspiring teacher, a generous mentor, a helpful colleague, and a tireless friend. Our deepest condolences go out to his wife, Ann Green, and his family.
Link to obituary: https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/20760195/Terrance-Heinrichs
Terry Heinrichs
Terrence Heinrichs, Ph.D., M.A. (University of Toronto), B.A. (California-Berkeley). Heinrichs taught at Glendon College, York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, from which he recently retired as Professor Emeritus. His early publications include essays in the history of political theory, but most recently, his interests have turned to civil liberties, specifically and mainly to issues concerning freedom of expression. His publications in this area include his latest book, “On Resurrecting Beauharnais: Jeremy Waldron & Group Libel,” along with various law review and online articles. His early life was dominated by his interests in sports, specifically in basketball and baseball, which he played at the University of California.
Reminiscences
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